The ABCs of Profitability
Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Jennifer Shelton, director of Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center
As a business owner or future entrepreneur, I believe it’s never too early to start thinking about how to make and keep your business profitable. In simple terms, profitability is the amount of sales revenue left over after business costs. Learning to measure profits [...]
Competing with Internet stores
Posted on 01. Jul, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Taimi Gorman, owner of Gorman Publicity
I loved the little corner drug store in the south Seattle neighborhood where I grew up. It was the home of fuzzy key chains, cinnamon oil for toothpicks, and the 7-Up floats Mom bought us after playing in concerts. It was a place crowded with toys, health supplies, magazines [...]
Hartrich: 10 green building incentives in 2010
Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Nick Hartrich, Green Building & Smart Growth program manager for Sustainable Connections
Sustainable Connections members in the design and construction industry across Whatcom County have accomplished a great deal in the past several years which has placed us in a national leadership position for green projects for a community our size.
As I reported in the [...]
Dorr: Competitive intelligence key to raising profits
Posted on 04. Jun, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Tom Dorr, director of the Center for Economic Vitality
Imagine that you could peek into your competitors’ financial statements gleaning instructive business comparisons and competitive intelligence. Or, consider that you can boost sales to your existing customers by knowing their lifestyles and preferences. What are innovative ways your business could cut costs, increase sales or [...]
Sometimes success is just showing up
Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Taimi Gorman, owner of Gorman Publicity
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”…..Woody Allen
I was a moody teenager going through a rough time when I tearfully announced at dinner that I was not going to my crocheting class anymore because it was just too hard. As much as I wanted to make those now hideously [...]
Small Business Development Center is back in Bellingham
Posted on 30. Apr, 2010 by Lance Henderson in Opinions
By Jennifer Shelton, director of the Bellingham Small Business Development Center
The Small Business Development Center is back in town, as many of you may have recently heard. One unique feature about Whatcom County is that the majority of businesses have fewer than 20 employees. These business owners are many of the types of clients the [...]
How to keep business out of trouble in tough times
Posted on 31. May, 2009 by admin in Opinions
Brian owns a professional services business in Bellingham that has 12 employees and has been in business for over 12 years. He has been impacted by the declining economy with reduced sales, more bad debts and the inability to pay his bills. He came to the Center for Economic Vitality for help in getting a [...]
Innovation a way of life in Northwest Washington
Posted on 31. May, 2009 by admin in Opinions
In a crisis it’s natural to focus on the immediate, but history shows that crises are also the time to create longer-term opportunities. While the world economy is undergoing a profound structural adjustment, we can and should focus regional efforts on initiatives that help local businesses be competitive in technologies and markets that will grow [...]
NEC assists renewable energy companies
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin in Opinions
Last summer, Daryl and Kevin Maas, owners of Skagit-based Farm Power Northwest, contacted our office with the idea to work with some of Whatcom County’s dairy farms to develop an energy-producing manure digester. We put together a meeting of local folks who could facilitate the project, and today the company is in conversation with several [...]
2010: A golden opportunity for Whatcom County
Posted on 30. Apr, 2009 by admin in Opinions
“Twenty-ten” has become a mantra of sorts for Northwest Washington. Between the Winter Games (February 12-28) and the Paralympics (March 12-21), this mutliweek block of time carries with it the mystical aura of Olympic prosperity. The financial bull’s-eye, of course, is centered around Whistler Village, greater Vancouver, and the British Columbia communities that are immediately [...]
